Essex Heritage to present Trails & Sails

Wednesday

Aug 10, 2016 at 10:38 AMAug 10, 2016 at 10:38 AM

Essex Heritage will present Trails & Sails, featuring more than 150 free events, Sept. 16-18 and 23-25. The event celebrates the variety of historic, cultural and natural places in the Essex National Heritage Area: the 34 cities and towns of Essex County, a 500-square-mile region north of Boston. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Congressional Act that established the Essex National Heritage Area, as well as the National Park Service Centennial. To celebrate, Essex Heritage assembled the largest-ever collection of Trails & Sails events to further enhance appreciation of this area.Trails & Sails was created by Essex Heritage 15 years ago to highlight the character of the Essex National Heritage Area by directly connecting people to its special places. “Our mission is to engage the public in sustaining the exceptional places that make this region so unique,” Essex Heritage CEO Annie Harris said. “Through fun and novel programs, like Trails & Sails, we inspire folks of all ages to make meaningful connections with these sites.”This year’s event is expected to attract more than 5,000 participants who can take advantage of a variety of family-friendly activities, walks, guided hikes, paddles, historical tours, lectures and other activities — happening morning, afternoon and evening. Possible itineraries are as follows: n Art Lovers: Join a photo tour of downtown Lynn; learn about the art of making leather in Peabody; experience public art in Gloucester or Salem; view new exhibits at the Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, or at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem; take an outdoor sculpture tour through Maudslay State Park in Newbury; visit Georgetown for an arts and architecture celebration; visit with artists and their works in the galleries of the King Hooper Mansion in Marblehead; and more. n History Buffs: Discover Essex County’s Civil War history at various locations, from the Powder House in Newburyport to Hilldale Cemetery in Haverhill; explore architectural history in Marblehead, Gloucester, Topsfield or Manchester; dig into history at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers; learn about the story behind the dory in Amesbury, or about aviation history at New England’s first airport in Newbury; and more. n Outdoor Enthusiasts: Explore two conservation areas in Marblehead; take a walking tour of Lynn Woods or Den Rock Park in Lawrence; go birding in Newbury; learn about the cornucopia of plants that can be eaten or used medicinally in Manchester; stop in North Andover to explore Harold Parker State Forest; take a tour of the Babson Boulders in Dogtown, Gloucester; help clean up the Spicket River in Lawrence; enjoy a guided kayak tour of the Ipswich River or Essex River; and more. n Family Fun: Build a terrarium or create fun sailor- and maritime-related crafts in Salem; explore the night sky in Amesbury; become a citizen scientist in Saugus; hunt for geocaches hidden at Tattersall Farm in Haverhill; take a hop, skip and jump tour of downtown Andover; become a time traveler in Danvers; enjoy an architectural history hunt in Wenham; celebrate Harvest Fest in Hamilton; and more.To see the complete listing of events and design a personalized itinerary, visit TrailsAndSails.org. All Trails & Sails events are free and most are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with the exception of a few reservations-required events. A limited number of free hard-copy guides will be available after Labor Day, Sept. 5, at the 13 Essex National Heritage Area Visitor centers and at sponsor locations: Eastern Bank; Institution for Savings; and Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank.Take the Trails & Sails Challenge: “Find Your Park, Find Your Story”In celebration of the Essex Heritage and the National Park Service anniversaries, Essex Heritage and its partners challenge participants to “Find Your Park, Find Your Story” by going to as many Trails & Sails events as possible to enter to win $150 in gift certificates to Dick’s Sporting Goods. Each time a participant signs in at a different event, the more likely they are to win. With events to take place throughout the cities and towns of Essex County, participants can go to one event or many over the two weekends.